Customers First Local Hero: Fresh Direct

In New York City, where "butt brush" with fellow customers is the grocery store norm and most recipes require a three-store tour to prepare, Fresh Direct takes the pressure off by virtually creating the kind of grocery store experience almost anyone, but certainly New Yorkers, would dream of. No more hip-checking in the pasta aisle, no more pounding pavement for chocolate sprinkles. An intuitive online form simplifies custom-ordering grocery items like fresh vegetables, ready-to-eat meals, and locally-made goodies including goat cheese and apple butter. The company has absorbed hundreds of thousands of dollars in parking tickets to get its customers its orders within the delivery window you set. And once you see the quality of the produce, you'll have no trouble surpassing the $40 order minimum.